Stay Close To Me
by Celestial Chaos
Summary: Nick/Greg Greg, on his way home one night, ends up being mugged. He calls Nick when he arrives home and helps him to feel better. They never expected what happened to happen. This story is discontinued. Ignore notes on last chapter.
1. Difficult Times

Author's Note: Honestly enough, I have only lately (over the summer) started watching CSI (so some of my facts may be off, feel free to correct me), and when I first saw it, I was like "Nick and Greg are like -this- *insert crossed fingers*". But I always thought they would be cute together...*mutters some stuff and then looks up* Well, basically, all I have to say is, you can guess what this story is about! ^_^; Hope you like it. Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own CSI, CBS....and other people do, so...Poo. Also, though I -am- a pretty smart guy for science, I can't remember for the life of me, chemical compounds, so...Bear with me ^_^;;;   
  
Text between [ and ] are thoughts the person has...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Time change in the same day  
  
------------------------- = Next Day  
  
......................... = Meanwhile  
  
~*~*************************~*~  
  
"That's impossible." Grissom wasn't much pleased with the results he received back from their bio-chemist, Greg. The case he was working on depended on a positive response, but it came negative.  
  
Greg shook his head slowly, shrugging afterward. "Don't know what to tell you, Gris, but the tests came back negative. The blood didn't match the girl's sample I had earlier."  
  
"Damnit." Grissom sighed, running a hand through his short, graying hair. He fidgeted with his glasses, removing them after a moment or two. "Well, thanks anyway, Greg."  
  
"Sorry I didn't give you what you wanted," the younger man responded, spinning around in his office chair as he watched the other man leave. He hated giving negative responses, but the tests didn't lie. It wasn't a match. He was curious to see what was going to happen. Maybe Sara would tell him...Or was it Nick that was on that case? He was getting them mixed up lately.  
  
Greg and Nick had been friends for a while, ever since the day that Greg started in the Forensics department. Nick was the first to bring Greg any work, and truth be told, he always thought Nick was the nicest out of all of night shift, except for maybe Sara. He and Sara got along rather nicely. Now, almost three years later, Greg had -become- a member of the night shift, and fit in almost as tightly as all the rest. He was working a bit later tonight, simply because of the blood tests he had for Grissom. Noticing not many people were around, Greg slid his chair across the floor,grabbing ahold of a book he had on the counter. It was the book he was reading recently, "A Beautiful Mind." Ever since he saw the movie, he wanted to read the book, so he went out and bought it.  
  
[Whoever said books were better than movies was right.] he thought to himself as flipped through the pages, skimming for his bookmark. Once he found it, he removed the paper piece and began to read, simply because, for the moment, he had nothing else to do. That was a first.  
  
A few pages later, there was a small knock on Greg's door, and the young, spiky haired man turned around, smiling at who it was. Nick. He hadn't seen his friend almost at all today, so he was a sight for sore eyes after doing nothing but work.  
  
"Hey!" he said happily, dropping his book to the counter. It made a thud noise that caused the table to shake, but neither of them seemed to care. Nick approached Greg with a few files in his hands, and a small bag with a pencil in it. The eraser was chewed to bits. [Oh great. More work.]  
  
Nick set the files on the beside Greg's book, crossing his rather large, but fitting arms across his chest. "Sorry to bother you right now, since you've got all that work Grissom plowed on you."  
  
[You've no idea...] "It's not a problem, really." Greg smiled a bit, turning toward the almost empty desk, a couple files spread across the surface, rather disorganized. "He just came in and got his results...Didn't quite work out the way he wanted it to."  
  
Nick nodded a bit, narrowing his eyes, though in the manner he always seemed to. He peered around the desktop for a moment, his eyes wandering back to Greg after a moment. "Well, as I said, hate to bother ya, but I need this pencil tested for DNA strands, and who they belong to. It's the only evidence we've got right now on the case with that Jenkins kid."  
  
"You mean the one who you think stabbed that other boy?"  
  
"It's an easy case if this comes back with his DNA on it. I mean, if there's any trace of saliva remnants or even if you could use like...dental records..."   
  
"But if it comes back negative?"  
  
"Then we're shooting in the dark. We haven't found anything else yet." Nick sighed.  
  
"Well, I'll do my best. Don't want to let anybody else down today." Greg chuckled weakly, remembering back with Grissom.  
  
"Ah, don't feel to bad, it's not like you -made- it that way."  
  
"Well, I guess you're right." Greg's eyes shifted for a moment as he looked outside the glass from his office, Sara walking by with some coffee. Coffee sounded great now. "Wanna go get some coffee?"  
  
Nick shrugged briefly, but nodded. "I could use some."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Pouring the last of the remaining coffee into the two small mugs that sat atop the counter, Greg sighed to himself.   
  
[Agh...more work tonight...But hey, it's for a friend, so...Quit your bellyaching.]  
  
After spending a minute talking to himself, Greg finally snapped back into reality, looking toward the two full cups. He chuckled nervously to himself, feeling a pair of eyes on him as he stood there. Turning around slowly, he held the coffee pot in his left hand.   
  
"Something on my face?" he asked with a smile, quirking a brow at the older man. Nick quickly shook his head, shrugging it off.  
  
"'Course not. But you zoned off there, thought you might have forgotten you were pouring coffee."  
  
"Very funny." Greg turned back to the counter, setting the coffee pot back in its rightful place, and afterward he grabbed the two mugs. He carried them over to the small coffee table where Nick was sitting, and placing them on the glassed surface, he plopped on the couch behind him. He released an overdramatic sigh, dropping his hands on either side of him.  
  
Nick took a sip of his coffee and looked at Greg kind of oddly, tilting his head to the side. "You seem more eccentric than you usually do."  
  
"That a bad thing?" Greg asked, leaning forward and grasping ahold of the steaming mug. He took a sip and set it on the table again, sitting in a more straightened stance. "I mean...I've been working a lot, so...I've got a lot of unused energy."  
  
"That's what homes are for." Nick's expression turned into a small smile as he took another sip of his coffee.  
  
"That's not funny, you know. You're not funny." Greg was trying to be serious so Nick would change his tune, but it didn't work too well. Once he figured out he wasn't going to change anything, he gave up. "Well...Blah."  
  
"How grown up of you, Mr. Sanders. Are you ready to come out of the sandbox now?"  
  
"What's with the jokes on age all of the sudden...Old man?" Greg cocked his head, almost in a fighting stance sort of way.   
  
"Old Man? Oooh...Careful what you say. I'm not old, and I can still kick your ass." Nick set his coffee down, mocking Greg's stance with one of his own.  
  
"Whaddya gonna do? Gum me?" Greg smirked derisively.  
  
"Not. Even. Funny." Nick shot an actual glare at Greg now, the game becomming a tad more than he had planned.  
  
Greg's eyes widened for a moment, but he got the hint and stopped. "Well, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood."  
  
"What...'Mood'?"  
  
"This place...The whole building's kind of...depressing. I mean, we've got a stabbing case, and then a rape case with that young girl and her boyfriend...Kind of...Depressing."  
  
"I know where you're coming from." Nick sighed a little, taking a couple more sips from his coffee. As much as Greg would probably try to cheer everyone up, Nick didn't much think it'd work. Well, for the moment anyway. At least someone -was- trying to keep the others happy.  
  
"Well, maybe I'll just stop...Doesn't seem to do much." Greg smiled a little, a light chuckle following.  
  
"Nah, don't stop. You're the light right now. Everyone is looking at you for those...Jokes you do."  
  
"Those jokes? Hmm? What jokes?"  
  
"You're sad, you know that? Your brain isn't what it used to be." Nick shook his head and pushed himself into a standing position once he felt his pocket vibrate. "Hello? Yeah. Alright then. At the school in twenty minutes? See you then." With that, he hung up the little phone, dropping it into his pocket. "That was Catherine. We found a person who apparently saw the stabbing. Or so she heard. I've gotta get goin."  
  
"Oh yeah? So when do you want those results?"  
  
"Like...When I get back, if I'm so lucky?" Nick headed for the door, and once he was just outside it, he stopped and turned around.  
  
"Oh yes. I'll make -sure- that it's done as quickly as possible. Just for you." Greg smirked teasingly, picking up the coffee cup in front of him.  
  
"Well, thanks. I appreciate it." Nick smiled for a short moment, turned, and then headed out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Greg sighed that ever-classic sigh of accomplishment. The results on the DNA test were a match. Perfectly. Now...If only he knew more about the case, he could piece together exactly what happened. As Greg put the papers together for Nick, he heard a knock on his door.   
  
"Got the results?"  
  
"All you think about is work, isn't it? Did you become a robot or something?" Greg turned around to the voice, and without a need to see, he identified it as Nick's.   
  
"Not always."   
  
That statement was enough to make Greg's curious nature take over, but he knocked it aside for a professional approach. "Hmm...Well, I think you'll be happy with the results."  
  
"Really now? They're what I think they are?"  
  
"Yep! Negative."  
  
Greg began to laugh as he saw Nick's hopeful expression fall face first into a gaped, vacant expression. "You're joking, right?"  
  
With a wink, Greg responded with, "'Course I am. Though...The fingerprints on the pencil belong to a ..." Greg paused for a moment, trying to remember the name, "A Rhonda...Peterson. But the bite marks belong to that Jenkins boy." He flipped the file down the desk, landing almost right upon the edge.   
  
Nick walked over to the opposite side of the desk, flipping through the files. "Really? No fingerprint traces though of the Jenkins boy? Just the bite marks?"  
  
"Yeah, just bite marks. I'm thinking gloves. Or maybe a jacket of some sort."  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, probably something like that. Well, that witness just happens to bear that name you gave me, so...I'll bring her in for questioning tomorrow."  
  
"Good job, then?"  
  
"Yep. Good job. Thanks a bunch, Sanders. Listen, I'm going to go for the night though, since I've got ... Well, most of this squared off. Grissom and the others are off to, so you should get heading as well. Don't want to stay here by yourself, do you?"  
  
"Not exactly, but I've got some cleaning to do." Looking around his work space, Greg chuckled nervously, as the mess upon his desk was mostly the worst. The papers were scattered everywhere.  
  
"Well, not such a bad idea, you know." Nick headed for the door, the files in his hands. "Be sure to lock up your office. Also, lock up the building?"  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"Do you need me to wait, or something?"  
  
"I'd like some company. I don't get much in here unless they want something. Kind of like I'm just some little machine, or something."  
  
"Well, you -are- the one people go to with their needs...Since you're the bio-chemist and all? And since a couple of our others are out taking their vacation time..." Nick left it at that.  
  
"Well, some of this isn't what I was trained to to, nor what I expected."  
  
"Expect the unexpected, hm?"   
  
"Funny." Greg stood from his chair, looking over the desk with a small sigh. He had hoped the mess would clean itself up...What a great dream that'd be. He began to pick some of it up, and he felt Nick hovering behind him for a moment before moving to his side.  
  
"Your house isn't like this, is it?"  
  
Greg shook his head, a small, barely noticeable smile growing on him. "Nothing of the sort. I'm just buried in work is all. Hardly a time for me to keep clean." He shuffled some of the forms together into a pile, setting them to the side.   
  
Nick was almost finished with the papers he had began to stack, and only a moment later after Greg spoke, he had them neatly set by his friend's.   
  
"We'll leave the rest for you to do tomorrow. There's too much."  
  
"Well, well. Weren't you the one who said that you wanted to clean it all up?" Greg stated matter-of-factly, turning his attention to Nick.  
  
"I agree to that, but I'm just as lazy as the next guy. And I want some sleep."  
  
"Amen to that."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well then...I'll see you tomorrow?" Greg stepped down the final stair to the parking garage, looking to Nick, who was a few feet from him.  
  
Nick nodded as he turned around, waving his friend a goodbye. He slid around the corner, disappearing from sight. Greg stood there for a moment, a small shiver running through him. The dimly light parking lot was scary enough as it was, but being in it at midnight? Even worse. Quickly running to his car, Greg's senses became keener, and his whole body was on alert. He quickly fidgeted through his pockets to find his keys, and once the metal object was in hand, he darted it to the keyhole. He unlocked the door and slid inside, shutting it hastily in a frightened jerk motion. He heard a low rumbling sound, and when he turned his head to look, he watched as Nick pulled away, out of the garage. Great. He was all alone now.  
  
Leaving nothing to his imagination, Greg started up his car, making sure to lock all the doors. As much as he wanted to get out of the lot, he had a hard time getting the car into reverse. Finally getting the car in working order and reversing, Greg made sure that his speed was enough to get him out of that lot - fast. When the dimmed light of the parking garage faded into the light of the Las Vegas buildings, Greg felt a bit more safer. It was odd enough to feel like he was being watched, he didn't need to feel he was watched in the dark.   
  
As Greg drove down the quiet, brightly lit street, he turned on the radio, beginning to 'groove' to the music. He tapped his hands along the steering wheel, his head bobbing up and down to the tunes. The faintest bit of paranoia Greg had was now gone. He stopped at the stoplight and caught sight of some girls in the cars next to him. They were pretty but...Kind of skanky looking, in his opinion. However, the guy that was riding with them, Greg liked his look. There was a small ping in his head that told him the guy he was looking at was cute, but Greg refused to even think about that. It wouldn't happen. He wouldn't let it.  
  
It took Greg only a few minutes to arrive at his apartment building, and as he pulled into his parking space, he turned off the radio, ignition following. It was so dark outside his apartment building, simply because the parking lot was behind the building, the taller form casting a shadow over it. Greg left his car light on as he slid out, peering about the car-filled area. It was a nice, peaceful night, like usual. As he shut his door, he locked the car, and dropped the keys back into his pocket. A cold wind blew past the young man as he began to walk, his eyes shifting to the cars on either side of him. He was humming the tune from the car in his head as he walked, folding his arms over his chest to keep himself a little warm.   
  
Greg paused for a moment, hearing some soft sounds from behind him. As he turned around, he peered over the ground and the cars around him. He didn't think there was much back there...Maybe the common rat that hung around the overly full trash can nearby. Agreeing with that thought, Greg was just about to turn around when he felt something protruding into his back. He gasped out softly, and went to move his arms when a gloved hand reached across his neck and over his mouth. He was too startled to respond.   
  
"Give me your money, and I won't hurt you." The voice was gruff, deep, and throaty. It was enough to make Greg's skin curl.  
  
Trying his best to even move, Greg began to breathe harder, his eyes closing tightly. The man pushed in the protruding object further into Greg's back, causing the younger man to yelp out softly.   
  
"-Give- me your money. Now."  
  
"I-I..." Greg stuttered, trying his best to move, "...I don't have a-any m-money..."  
  
"You lie." He pushed Greg forward, but not much able to move his legs, Greg toppled to the ground. As the man moved forward toward Greg, the spiky haired one backed up until he hit the car nearest him, a small whimper arising.  
  
"I told you, give me your money or I'll..." the burly man held up the protruding weapon, newly revealed as a gun. "Do something you won't much like."  
  
"I told you! I don't have any money!"  
  
The man cocked the gun and pointed it at Greg, just about to pull the trigger when the other man pulled out his wallet, quickly flipping it open. The gun was set at bay while he watched Greg pull out a couple bills. Greg wasn't a stupid person. He knew that with this neighborhood, it was best to keep money at home and at work. Not -with- him. He pulled out a a few fives and threw them at the man, his whole body beginning to shake. The man's eyes were visible through the mask he wore, and they narrowed as he leaned toward the money.  
  
"You said you didn't have any."  
  
"I...I...Y-you've g-got what you want!" Greg sat up as best he could against the car, pushing against it almost.  
  
"..." The man stayed silent as he picked up the money, his eyes on Greg the whole time. As much as he was happy he had the money, he didn't seem like he cared.  
  
"G-go! You got what you want!"  
  
"Not all I want."  
  
Greg's eyes widened a bit, and as he looked at the man, he gulped deeply. "W-what?"  
  
"I don't have...All I want." As the man moved closer to Greg, he tried to back up, only reaching his unwanted destination: Nowhere.  
  
"G-get away from me!" Greg growled, pulling his legs up to his chest. The man leaned in closer, and as his hands moved outward towards Greg's body, the young one took one deep breath, launching his legs forward - right into the man's chest.  
  
Toppling over in a gasp, the man fell to his side, arms wrapping around his stomach. Greg watched the man for a moment, in disbelief at what he had just done. He began to pant lightly, and rushing himself to stand up, he began to run. Run. That's all he could think about right now. The moment was too much for him, and getting home was all he needed to do. All he needed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Later that night~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Greg couldn't sleep. He tried to cook himself a meal, but he just ended up almost burning the kitchen down. His concentration was so off it wasn't even funny. All he could think about was that robber. That man that tried to hurt him, and take him. He couldn't let it happen. He wouldn't let it. Greg rolled over on his bed, burying his face half-way into the pillow. His clock said it was 4:30. He was wide awake, but he couldn't be more tired. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was that man...That man that could have ruined his life.   
  
There wasn't enough to keep Greg's mind off of what happened earlier tonight, and as much as he tried to think of new things, he couldn't. He felt so...Dirty. That man, as much as he was a jerk and rude, was a man nonetheless. Kicking him...Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do. Not in the slightest...Or was it? How was he supposed to feel right about if it if he kept contradicting himself? He needed another opinion. Who the -hell- would be up, though, at this time? No one, that was for sure.  
  
[Damnit. I wonder if...Nick is awake...Would he listen to me...?]  
  
Pulling his face just slightly out of the pillow, Greg peered to his nightstand, past his clock, toward the cordless phone set next to it. He reached a shaking hand out toward it, but stopped halfway, doubting if Nick would even listen.  
  
[Why would he want to hear me whining?]  
  
Greg slowly began to move his hand back, but he stopped himself when he thought of the friendship he shared with the older man. He was there for Nick when he needed him. Why wouldn't he return the favor? Greg picked up the phone with his shaking hand, and dialed Nick's number quickly. There was a pause on the other side before it started ringing.   
  
After about the fourth ring, Greg figured that Nick was too lost in dream land to even hear his phone. As he began to remove the electronic device from his ear, he heard a half-asleep voice on the other line.  
  
"...Hello...?"  
  
"N-Nick?" His voice was trembling just slightly.  
  
Yet another pause occurred, but Nick finally responded. "Greg? Why are you calling me so late? You okay?"  
  
Tears softly welled in Greg's eyes as he tried to speak, his voice came out a bit squeaky. "I...I was...mugged..."  
  
There was a clearing throat on the other line, but Nick's voice seemed to awaken. "Mugged?! Greg...What?!"  
  
Though Nick couldn't see it, Greg nodded. "Y-yeah...I...Driving home...In my parking lot..."  
  
"I'll be right over."   
  
Click.  
  
Greg was about to speak, but the click silenced him.  
  
"N-Nick...?" His tears finally broke through, and as he began to cry into the pillow, he dropped the phone to the floor.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Greg's doorbell rang, but unlike a normal door, it went unanswered. Greg had managed to slide out into his living room and was staring at the door, along with all the locks on it. Every single one of them was locked to an extreme.   
  
"Greg? Let me in! It's Nick!" The voice outside sounded like Nick...  
  
Greg slowly stood up, dragging along with him his bed covers. He had them wrapped around his body, his arms tightly close to his body. He slowly drug himself toward the door, and once his hands reached the lock, Nick stopped knocking on the door. Greg's hands were still trembling, and with much difficulty he tried to unlock the metal blockades.  
  
"Th-they're too hard to unlock," Greg stuttered, his hands weakly fidgeting with the locks still.  
  
"Come on, Greg. I know you can unlock the door."  
  
Greg released a shivering sigh as he tried again, but this time the attempt resulted in the unlocking of the door. Pulling on the wooden object, Greg's trembling and covered form was brought into view. Nick's eyes widened a bit as he looked over his friend; the boy's eyes were tear-stained, and his skin was pale. Nick walked past his friend slowly, so he didn't spook him. He headed toward the couch, and as he sat down, he saw Greg turn around as well.  
  
"W-why did you come here?" The boy was still shaken, that was obvious. He staggered his way over to the couch, collapsing onto it and over Nick in the process. Now, usually, Greg would've thought before he did something like this, but he couldn't much think right now. He leaned his head against Nick's shoulder, sighing heavily.  
  
"I came here because my friend was mugged and needs someone to be with him."  
  
"Thanks..." Greg sniffed lightly, a heavy, long set sigh following. He was calming down, which was good.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I know it's the last thing you want to talk about, but...Will you tell me what happened?" Nick looked down at Greg, who was staring toward the wall across from him. He didn't want to make his friend do anything that would upset him much, but right now, he needed to.  
  
There was a small pause before Greg nodded. He turned over a little, his ear brushing against Nick's shoulder as he moved. He looked up into the older man's deep set eyes and sighed softly.  
  
"Where to begin..." he said as he exhaled, nibbling on his lower lip.  
  
"Just start with what you think is the best to." Nick smiled supportively.  
  
"Well...After you left the parking garage...I went to my car, but I was a little paranoid...So I drove home rather quickly...I went to park in my space outside the apartment building, not suspecting anything..." Greg paused, his eyes closing shut.  
  
"And...?"  
  
"Well...I was getting out of my car, I...I started walking...I heard a noise and I turned around...but halfway through I was...S-stopped...by..." Greg's eyes began to fill up with tears once more, and as he began to cry, he felt an arm wrap around him, pulling him closer.   
  
"Shh...Don't cry, Greg....Sh..." Nick began to rub up and down Greg's arm, trying to calm the crying boy.  
  
"I...I was attacked...and he....the g-guy...h-he tried to d-do things to me...I've n-never..." Greg's cries now turned to soft sobs, drowning his words. He couldn't even speak anymore. He turned himself to where he could reach around Nick's waist, and doing so, he practically clutched himself to the underside of the other. His whole body began to shake along with his sobs.  
  
"Greg..." Nick was mostly silent as he tried to comfort the younger man, and he pulled him in close, hugging him supportively as Greg cried into his chest. "You never expected it to happen?" Nick didn't expect much of a vocal response, but he knew that when Greg nodded his head gently, he was right.  
  
"I...N-Nick...It was so..."  
  
"Shh...Don't worry about it, alright? Right now you just need to calm down...collect yourself..."  
  
Greg nodded again with a small, chittering sigh. His tears were beginning to subside, but they were still there. He reached up to his face and wiped his eyes, blinking furiously to clear his vision. Nick looked down at the younger man with a sigh, his eyes starting to soften themselves. One of his hands gently lifted up towards Greg's eyes, brushing away a couple of the tears. The other man's head raised slowly, catching Nick's dark orbs.  
  
"Nick...Thank you."  
  
"For what, Greg?"   
  
"For...Coming here; being with me. I don't think anyone else would have done it."  
  
"What're friends for, Greg? I mean...I'm happy that I could-" Nick stopped once he noticed Greg's eyes were closed, and his head was sitting softly upon his chest. "Greg?"  
  
No response. He'd fallen asleep. Nick's lips curled into a small smile, and he pulled Greg softly closer to him, the younger man sleepily nuzzling against him. Nick leaned back just enough to where he was comfortable, and closed his eyes. Within a few moments, Nick was off to sleep just as Greg was.  
  
~*~*************************~*~  
  
Author's Notes: A new brainchild that spawned from my writer's block of my other stories. Damn that! I wish I could write the others, but this story isn't going away any time soon...Review, very much so please! ^_^ 


	2. The Apartment

Author's Notes: Hmm...Standard disclaimers, I don't own CSI, but I'd like to own Greg ^.~ Just kidding. Nah...It'd be funny though.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Time/Scene change  
  
-------------------------- = Day change  
  
.......................... = Meanwhile  
  
~*~****************************~*~  
  
Greg's nose was the reason he was awakened, the faint smell of bacon cooking. As his eyes parted, he noticed that he was in the living room, rather the bedroom. He groaned out lightly as he sat up, rubbing the side of his face and his eyes, his memory not fuzzy exactly, but a bit jumbled. The last thing he remembered was Nick was here...Did he leave early? Or did it even happen?   
  
Shaking thoughts from his head that he didn't want to think about, Greg stood up, but nearly fell back onto the couch.  
  
"Head rush..." he said quietly, a hand rubbing his forehead.  
  
"You're up early." Greg wasn't much expecting a voice and the sound of it startled him slightly, causing him to fall backward onto the couch.   
  
"Ack!"   
  
Nick chuckled lightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"Well...Whatever..." Greg -was- half-asleep a second ago, but he was wide awake now. He groaned once more, stretching his feet to the end of his couch.  
  
"I take it you don't get up that early."  
  
"What...time is it?"  
  
"It's around 9. What time -do- you get up?"  
  
"...That's not important." Greg sighed. "What's important though...is that you're still here. Any reason as to why?"  
  
"You fell asleep on me. I didn't have the heart to leave you alone. Any problem?"  
  
Greg flashed his teeth in this smile. "Nah...None here. But...Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it. Listen; I made breakfast. Come and get some?"  
  
"You cooked breakfast? Really? Wow! Didn't know you could cook!"  
  
"Don't sound so surprised. I've been having to do so lately."  
  
"Well, that's okay. But thanks for cooking! I appreciate it." With that, Greg bounded up from the couch, dashing into the kitchen.  
  
Nick watched Greg run past him, a small laugh escaping. "Not a problem..." Nick turned around and walked into the kitchen, stopping right where he stood when he noticed what Greg was wearing. He really hadn't noticed it before.  
  
"Isn't it a little, uh...Cold to be wearing that?"  
  
Greg turned around, giving Nick a full frontal view of his test tube printed boxers and defined upper body. "What?"  
  
Nick pointed to Greg's clothes, and the man lifted his arms to the sides, a plate in one hand and a pair or tongs in the other. He looked down at his underwear, his face flushing red. As he lifted his head back up, he quickly turned around and set the plate and tongs onto the counter.   
  
"You're right. It .... It is a little cold for this. I'll be right back."  
  
Before Nick could even much respond, Greg darted to the side, down the hall that was conjoined with the living room. He slammed his bedroom door, staying in there for more than at least 5 minutes. When he finally returned, Greg was wearing a pair of dark denim shorts, along with a white undershirt covered by a white-flower blue printed hawaiian shirt.  
  
"This better?" he asked with his laughing smile. "Threw it together."  
  
"Hmm? Really now...You're going to wear that to work, aren't you?" Nick was sitting in the chair across from Greg's, his plate already set up.   
  
Greg nodded cheekily. "Maybe. Well...I might change into pants. Professional look, you know?"  
  
Nick lifted his cup of coffee to his lips and took a sip, nodding a bit in Greg's direction. [Awfully cheeky for just being mugged a couple hours ago...]  
  
Walking his way back over to the counter, Greg fixed up his plate and filled his cup of coffee. After all the preparations were set, he scuttled over to the table and set it all down, pulling out the chair and sitting down. He picked up a fork and began to nibble on some of the eggs that Nick had prepared. He looked down at the plate, a hint of red still in his cheeks.  
  
"Hmm..." Nick mumbled, looking over toward his eating friend. "Do you like it?"  
  
"Obviously I underestimated your cooking skills. This is really good." Greg set the fork down and looked up at Nick, smiling. "Tasty too."  
  
"Glad you like it."   
  
After Greg went back to eating, Nick picked up his cup of coffee and hovered it right at his lips, setting his elbows on the table as he began to think. What kind of man would try and rob a person in a parking lot? There could have been other people around, but unfortunately, that wasn't to happen. He silently watched Greg eat, the younger man seemingly not even remembering what had happened to him earlier. He deserved that. Hopefully it wouldn't be that hard to forget.   
  
"Greg..." Nick broke the silence, his eyes still looking at the other.  
  
Greg blinked, set his fork down and looked up at Nick. "Hmm?"  
  
Nick was going to ask about last night into further detail, but the final moment proved to him he couldn't hurt the boy's enjoyment. "Get enough sleep?"  
  
Greg paused. "Hmm? Well...Yeah, I got enough sleep. One question, though...Did you stay with me the whole time last night? If you did...Erm..." He looked down. "You were a good..." he whispered the last word. "...pillow."  
  
"I make a good what? Pillow? Is that what you said?"  
  
Greg nodded meekly. Nick chuckled a little, setting his coffee down on the table. The two of them stayed quiet for a few moments, but Greg broke it with a light chuckle.  
  
"Yes, I said a pillow. But it's only the truth." Greg kept his face down as his cheeks flushed once more with red.   
  
Nick noticed it this time around, but he decided not to say anything about it. The newspaper he had picked up from outside was sitting on the table, and figuring now was the best time, he decided to read it. Greg didn't notice that Nick wasn't looking at him anymore, his eyes still gazing at his plate. Nick took the rubber band off of the paper, separating some of it and setting it to the side; right now he'd stick with the sports. Anything to keep his mind off of the incident that happened to his friend. He seemed more struck by it right now than Greg did.  
  
He shuffled the paper a few times before lifting it up to a reading level, squinting his eyes a little at some of the smaller font. As much as he refused to believe his eyes were messing up lately, they were doing just that. Most of the time it was from stress, or overexcitement. Mainly stress for him. As he read through the sports articles, he found that most of the scores were the same as the always were...  
  
[Not many interesting things to read about in today's paper...]  
  
Nick hadn't noticed this until he had stop reading, but Greg was mumbling things to himself. What, he didn't know. The boy was just mumbling, shaking the fork back and forth. Nick tried to listen in, but Greg wasn't exactly speaking that loudly. Clearing his throat, Nick set the paper on the table and peered over at Greg.  
  
"What -are- you saying?"  
  
Greg stopped abruptly, looking up at Nick with his fork near his mouth. "Hmm? What?"  
  
"What are you saying? You're...mumbling."  
  
"Oh! Um...Nothing important. Don't worry about it."  
  
"You sure, there? I mean...Your face and all, it looked a little fanatic."  
  
"Oh...It's okay. Completely okay." Greg was seemingly a little nervous.  
  
Nick nodded slowly, his eyes gazing at Greg still. After Sanders caught wind of the eyes, he kept his away from the line of sight the other had on him.   
  
"Greg? What's the matter?" Nick kept his dark orbs locked on Greg's as best he could, leaning in a bit.  
  
"N-nothing. It's nothing."  
  
"Greg Sanders, don't make me wring it out of you."  
  
Greg looked up, his face flushed red as it had been for the past few minutes. "I told you. It's nothing. Now, please, stop asking."  
  
"Okay, okay, calm down, Greg...Jeez." Nick sighed a little, picking up the paper once more to read it. He wasn't really reading it as much as he was using it as a cover so he could continue to watch Greg. He felt kind of odd doing it.  
  
Greg began to tap his feet under the table, his eyes looking out the window to the side of his table. It overlooked The Strip, which wasn't too far away. It looked...much different in the daytime. Kind of pretty, even. Greg's mind began to wander, and the first thought was of Nick, and the wonderful breakfast his friend cooked for him. The spiky haired one's eyes followed his mind and they wandered into the area where Nick was, planting themselves on his form. He couldn't help but look at Nick, though he didn't know why. He seemed...so entranced by the paper. He was faking it.  
  
Nick felt Greg's eyes fall upon him, and though he wanted to look up, he kept his eyes on the paper. He began to read the top articles so he could just barely see Greg's eyes. This worked out well, because Greg was staring at him as if he was naked or something.  
  
"Something you're not telling me, Sanders?" Nick asked, keeping his attention on the newspaper. He caught sight of Greg's blush turning redder, and he chuckled out softly.  
  
"W-what are you talking about, Stokes? Are you seeing things?" He lifted a hand over his eyes.  
  
"I see the way you're looking at me. I'm not blind, you know."  
  
"Well, you -must- be, because I'm not looking at you. I'm looking -past- you, toward the door."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"Excuse you? Hello? That's rude..." Greg scoffed angrily, pushing back the chair he was sitting in.  
  
"Well, you know what? it isn't rude...It's the truth. If you want to look at me, just say so."  
  
"You're odd, you know that Stokes?"  
  
"You know you like it, Sanders."  
  
"When did we start using last names? And...if I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting." Greg cocked his head in curiosity.  
  
"You don't know better. It's sad, really."  
  
Greg pouted, his arms folding over his chest. "Hey, don't pick on me! I was mugged, you're supposed to be nice to me."   
  
Nick's expression softened. "...Well, fine then. I apologize. If you do."  
  
"I do."  
  
"Then we're square."  
  
"Great! Now, you can help me with dishes."  
  
"I cooked, why should I help with dishes?" Nick pushed his chair back, picking up the newspaper and folding it up. "I mean...You wash them much better than I do."  
  
Greg made a weird noise before sighing, beginning to pick up all the plates at the table. He didn't even respond to what Nick had said. Didn't bother him any. Nick stood up and took the newspaper with him out into the living room. Though Greg found himself watching Nick walk out, he didn't think of it as much more; who would?  
  
After Sanders had stacked up the plates, silverware and glasses, he put them in the sink. Turning on the water faucet, Greg began to hum a little tune to himself, though not much knowing what it was. Just something he must've made up. As he waited for the water to fill up, Greg turned around, looking into the living room. Nick was sitting on the couch, reading the paper just as he was when he was sitting at the table. Why didn't he just stay in the kitchen?  
  
Greg sighed a little, feeling like Nick didn't much want to be with him right now. He felt sort of dependent right now, like if he didn't have Nick, he wouldn't have made it through the night. He wondered just why exactly Nick stayed with him...He would have doubted anyone would do that for him. But...Nick did. He was a real friend. A friend that Greg was happy to have. The water started to fill to the rim, and with a little bit of it dripping over the side, Greg gasped, turned around, shutting it off rather quickly.   
  
Greg began to wash the dishes, his thoughts wandering to the most random of subjects. He thought about what it would be like if the world were run by monkeys...Or if he could fly. That would rock. He began to get a little rhythm as he washed, setting the plates in the other part of the sink so that they could be rinsed later. He began to mouth some lyrics to the song he heard earlier in the car, but the thought of that brought back the memory of the mugging. He wasn't as...hurt as he was last night. Maybe having someone around with him had something to do with it. Everything seemed lighter, more carefree when Nick was around.  
  
Greg, who was off in his own little world, continued to wash the dishes, but he didn't notice Nick come up behind him. His breath was quiet, and so were his steps, so it was almost as if he wasn't there. As Greg finished washing the last glass, he set it in the other part of the sink and just as he turned around, he finally noticed Nick was there. He jumped practically out of his skin, yelling out in surprise as he hit the counter.  
  
"God Damnit Nick! Don't do that!" Greg lifted a hand to his chest, panting.   
  
Nick raised a hand to his mouth, holding back his laughter as he turned around. "Geez, Greg, you'd think someone was-" He stopped with what he almost said.  
  
"Someone was what?" Greg's expression fell serious. "About to jump me?"  
  
"Not what I was going to say, but whatever floats your boat."  
  
Greg stayed silent as he walked around Nick, stopping once he caught his eyes. "Really, Nick. What were you going to say?"  
  
"It's not important. Forget it." The tone of his voice became more stern, but Greg seemingly wouldn't drop it.  
  
"Come on, tell me."  
  
"No." Nick began to walk to the living room, but that didn't do much. Greg followed.  
  
"Nick! Just say it!"  
  
"....you'd think someone was about to mug you. There. I said it. Happy?"  
  
"Honestly? It...Really doesn't much bother me now. Sure, I lost like, $20, but I got away with my life, you know. If I see that bastard again I'm going to hurt him even worse than I did."  
  
"Than you did? You never said anything about hurting him."  
  
"Sorry, but I was shaken up. It's nothing big. I just kicked him."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really?"  
  
Greg nodded. "That's all."  
  
"Well...I see." He didn't much say anything after that.  
  
"That all you have to say to that? No snide comment? No joke?"  
  
"Why should I joke about it? You did it so you could save yourself. I have no problem with that."  
  
"...Good." Greg shifted his eyes around, somewhat confused as if that was what he should say. He didn't know.  
  
Once again, there was that eerie silence between the two of them as they stood there. Greg's eyes shot toward the clock, which now stated that it was about 9:45 or so. Not much time passed, but it seemed so much longer. Nick cleared his throat a little, dropping himself onto the couch. Greg just stood there, staring at the clock almost in disbelief. The thought just suddenly occurred to Greg: He hadn't showered today. The uncomfortable silence between he and Nick was building, and as much as he'd like to say around and be with it (yea right), he figured he should shower. Turning to Nick, Greg rocked on his heels.  
  
"Hey, uh, listen. I'm...gonna hop in the shower, and uh...maybe go do some grocery shopping."  
  
"Oh?" Nick looked up to Greg as he pushed himself against the back of the couch.  
  
"Yeah. If you want, you're more than likely to stay, even join me. A-at the store, I mean! But uh, it's all up to you." Greg was tripping over his words, and it was annoying him.  
  
Nick stroked his chin, as if in deep thought. It didn't take him much to reply. "Sure, I've nothing else to do today. Mind if I watch a little TV while you wash up?"  
  
Greg shook his head. "What's mine is yours, bud. But uh..." Turning to look down the hall, safely away from Nick's eyes, Greg continued, "...Thanks for staying with me last night. It meant a lot."  
  
Nick knew the other guy was nervous and felt odd saying that, but he couldn't help smiling softly. "Not at all. But uh, just remember, I'm here for you, okay?"  
  
Greg nodded sheepishly, but he acknowledged that. He didn't say anything else, just walking into his room and gathering the clothes he'd use. After that, he made way toward the bathroom right next to his bedroom. Nick stayed out in the living room, his eyes staring at the blank television screen. He'd have liked to turn it on, but...He didn't know where Greg kept the remote. It didn't occur to him that he should've asked beforehand. He decided that, instead of looking for the remote, he'd just turn the TV on manually.   
  
Now that the TV was on, it was set to FOX, like Greg usually had iton, the moments he ever really watched it, that was. The Simpsons were on, and as much as Nick didn't care for the show, it sounded interesting enough for the moment. He leaned back, the volume fine as it is, and watched the cartoon show while Greg showered. The boy didn't come out for another 20 minutes or so. Once he did, he was dressed in a simple towel, his body coated with a thin layer of water droplets. He walked into the living room, running another towel through his hair. He didn't really care what Nick was thinking, this was the warmest place in the house.   
  
Nick turned his head from the television when he heard Greg walk out, but he wasn't expecting him to be so...revealing. He quirked a brow curiously, lifting an arm over the side of the couch as he turned the rest of his body.  
  
"Isn't that cold too?"  
  
"For your information," Greg began. "this is the warmest room in the house. Most of the time I don't have company with me, so I'm just going about my normal way."  
  
"Well, don't get so defensive. Just curious. Nice hair, by the way."  
  
Greg took that as offensive, though Nick's true intention was for it to be a compliment. He thought it fit the younger man. "Thanks..." his tone was slightly sarcastic.  
  
"I'm just being truthful."  
  
Greg blinked, cocking his head as he stopped. His attention was now on Nick. "Really? You mean that?"  
  
"Yeah, I do."  
  
"Thanks," Greg said softly, draping the towel around his broad, slender shoulders. He turned to move down the hall, but was stopped when Nick cleared his throat. "Something else to add?"  
  
"N-no. Sorry, just clearing my throat."   
  
"Oh...Okay then. I'll go get dressed and then I'll be out, and we can go?"  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
Greg nodded and headed into his room, shutting the door behind him. It didn't take him too long to dress, and when he came out, he looked more like he did when he arrived at work. Khaki pants and white t-shirt with a dark blue button up shirt over it, buttonless. He headed straight into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, fixed up his hair, then slid out and into the kitchen. His shoes were there from when he took them off last night, so he reached down beside the counter and picked them up, slipping into them. Finally ready, he walked into the living room, noticing that Nick was looking at him when he came out.  
  
"Something I miss?" Greg asked, looking over his body.  
  
Nick shook his head, turning himself around so that he could turn off the television. "Nah, but I like this look better than the one I saw earlier."  
  
"You mean you didn't like my body? I'm crushed." Greg laughed a little, a small pout forming. He walked over to the table beside the table where he dropped off his keys, propping them in one hand as he smiled brightly at the other.   
  
Nick chuckled softly to himself, standing up. He ran a hand through his short hair, brushing it into a better look. He needed a shower, but he thought it could wait for later. "Crushed? A little harsh wording, don't you think?"  
  
"Ah, I think it fits. But that's just me."  
  
"You're right. Just you."  
  
"Don't you ruin my moment, Stokes." Greg smirked wildly, running a hand over his spiked hair. It looked like he just splat some gel in it and let it stay that way.  
  
"Ah...I won't. I'll leave it be. So, we going or what?"  
  
"Maybe 'or what'."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Greg stepped around the corner of his apartment building, his eyes falling onto the parking lot. He froze in place, Nick bumping into him.   
  
"Greg? You okay?" He blinked and furrowed his brow, but once he saw what Greg was staring at, he understood. Setting a hand slowly to Greg's shoulder, Nick sighed.  
  
"I-...I'll be fine. Nothing too big I can't handle." Greg released a strong sigh, looking down for a moment before raising his head. "I can walk through here. No one would attack me during the day. They'd be stupid to."  
  
Nick nodded, and when Greg started to walk once again, he followed. Looking around at the scene, Nick found himself trying to analyze it, as if he was on duty right now. He shook the thoughts from his head, peering ahead to Greg's car. As the younger man slid into the driver's seat, Nick walked around and sat down in the passenger's side, buckling up. He gazed around the inside of the car, his eyes landing on Greg at the end. He heard the other clear his throat and mess around with the mirror, though from the looks of it, it didn't need it.  
  
"You going to be okay, Greg?" Nick was concerned, like he usually was, but he didn't want to prod the matter too much.  
  
"I'll...be fine. Don't worry about me."  
  
There was some sincerity that layed in those words that made Nick want to believe that, but his other part felt as if Greg was lying just so Nick wouldn't bug him about it. Even though Greg was the one who called him over, Nick respected the possible wishes of his friend. Turning his attention back to what was in front of him, Nick sighed silently, feeling the car shift and Greg pulling out.   
  
~*~*********************************~*~  
  
Author's Notes: Review please! ^_^ I mean....Reviews are what I live for! Heh heh, just kidding. Well, maybe not ^.~ Hopefully my writer's block will clear up and I can finish up the last few chapters of Until It's Over, and also start up again and Law and Love...*Grumbles* I had so many ideas for that, but now they all left me. Sheist...Anyway! Hope you like the story so far ^.^ 


	3. Lunch

Author's Notes: Not many but...FF.net is a piece of garbage sometimes...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene/Time change  
  
............................. = Meanwhile  
  
[........] = Words between are thoughts  
  
  
  
~*~***********************~*~  
  
  
The car ride to the grocery store was a very long one. Nick stayed silent during most of it, as well as Greg. The silence was broken when Greg turned off the car and cleared his throat.   
  
"We're here."  
  
Nick was in a state of light sleep, and when Greg reached over to shake him, he woke up. "H-huh? Oh...Ok."  
  
After both of the men got out of the vehicle, Greg locked the doors and began to walk toward the store. Nick followed.  
  
"So...What do you have to get? You seemed to have a lot in the fridge when I made breakfast."  
  
"Don't have any coffee stuff and ... uh... I think soda, last time I checked." Greg scratched the back of his head and reached into his pocket, pulling outa small piece of paper. "Hmm...Yeah...It says coffee, soda and cereal."  
  
"Just breakfast foods?" Nick asked, and without much a thought to it, he opened the door for Greg. Greg didn't much think about it either, and he walked through it.  
  
"Yeah, that's basically it. I grab fast food on the way home from work."  
  
"What about lunch?"  
  
"Don't eat it."  
  
"What?!" Nick exclaimed. He felt eyes fall on him, and pulling Greg gently to the side, into an aisle, he whispered, "You don't eat lunch?"  
  
Greg shook his head nonchalantly. "No. What's so wrong about that?"  
  
Nick sighed. "Eating cereal and coffee for breakfast and fast food for dinner isn't the best set of meals you know."  
  
"Well...I keep in shape and I do just fine. You saw me earlier; did I look sick or bony?"  
  
"Well...No. But still, Greg, that's not exactly the best thing for you to do."  
  
"Jeez Nick...When did you become so worried about the way I live my life? You cared but now it's a little too much."  
  
Honestly, Nick had always cared for Greg, that was obvious. But the moment that Greg was mugged Nick began to care more than before. This was common among friends but to be truthful, Nick had seen Greg in a whole new light. It was a little odd to him, but he couldn't help it.  
  
"Nick?"  
  
Nick blinked a few times once he noticed he had trailed off in thought. When Greg's hand passed his face, he sighed.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. But today, my friend, we're going to have a lunch. No questions asked."  
  
"But Nick-"  
  
"No buts Greg. Lunch. Got it?"  
  
"A-alright. Fine. Now, can we get some shopping done?"  
  
Nick nodded and smiled softly. "Sure."  
  
A couple minutes later Greg had retrieved all the groceries he needed and off they were to his car.  
  
After Nick placed the grocery bags in the back of Greg's jeep, he slid into the passenger's side of the car. Greg slipped into the driver's side and peered over at his friend, smiling a little.   
  
"Where are we going for this lunch, Stokes?"  
  
"Well....-Sanders-....We're going wherever you'd like to go."  
  
"Home?"  
  
"If you want me to cook for you again."  
  
"I really don't mind. It's up to you."  
  
"Well, let's go to my house then. This way I can have some good lunch food instead of having some kind of dinner or breakfast thing."  
  
"Hmm...Alright then. We're on our way."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nick pulled out his keys from his pocket, and within a few moments the two of them were inside his house. It was plain, with mostly black and glass. It seemed less like Nick, but maybe he just had different tastes.   
  
"If you want you can help me, or you can help yourself to some TV. Whichever you wish."   
  
"Hmm...I'll watch TV," Greg replied, looking around Nick's living room. Though he hadn't much thought about it, it seemed like a good idea for Greg to look around the house.  
  
Doing just that, Greg peered about and looked around at everything. Nick was in the kitchen and out of his way, so he didn't have to worry about getting caught. But what with getting caught? He didn't know. Lots of pictures...Nick seemed to have a ton of different places and people. It was interesting...  
  
Finally deciding that he should just sit down and watch TV like he had planned, Greg slid over to the couch and plopped down on it. It smelled rather...good, he thought. He felt weird about it, but not completely. Part of him was telling him to lie down and continue to inhale the scent while the other told him to watch the TV. Greg's weaker side won this time, and with a little squeal, he lied himself down and snuggled against the couch.   
  
Listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen, Greg peered about, setting his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was off to sleep.   
  
It was what seemed like moments later that Greg was awakened by a hand on his shoulder and a soft, but strong voice in his ear.  
  
"Greg, wake up."  
  
"Gimme five more minutes..." the younger man mumbled, grasping the hand and snuggling up to it like a pillow. He was awakened quickly when the hand was slowly taken away from him, his head falling to the couch side.  
  
"Hey..." he griped, rubbing his eyes. Nick was looking at him, a small smirk on his face. With a bit of a chuckle, Greg looked up at Nick, his expression still seemingly asleep.  
  
"Lunch is ready."  
  
***  
  
Greg peered over the food, and with a soft smile on his face, he turned to Nick.  
  
"Looks good," he stated, a smile appearing. He ran a hand over his hair, a slow, yet loud yawn following.   
  
"Still tired?" Nick asked, moving past Greg toward the seat sitting across from him. He sat down and pointed towards Greg's seat, the younger one sitting down and peering over the food. There wasn't anything too big...But Nick seemed to have gone pretty out for this.  
  
"You cooked...all of this?" He asked, picking up a fork.  
  
Nick nodded. "Yes, I did. Well, I had help from that uh...Hamburger Helper dude. Heh."  
  
"Well, Cheeseburger Macaroni is still good..." With that, Greg took a bit of the warm food.  
  
Throughout most of the meal, Nick and Greg stayed silent, but both of them had caught each other's eyes falling on the other. It was almost a game of catch you catch me. Every time Greg looked up, Nick caught him, and when Nick looked, Greg caught him. They seemed to find it enjoyable. Finally, Greg had enough, but in a good sense.  
  
"Are we going to keep doing this? Or...Are you going to stop it?"  
  
Nick set his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Who says I was the one who had to stop it?"  
  
"Well, you're more 'mature' then I am."  
  
"Oh really...well...then yes, I'm going to stop it. Now...Uh...What to do?"  
  
Greg was...feeling a little frisky now. Lifting one of his legs up slowly, he rubbed it against Nick's leg.  
  
"Ooh, fiesty," Nick stated, pulling his leg back quickly.   
  
"Didn't like that?" Greg asked, but his question was answered when he felt the leg of the older man rubbing against him.   
  
"What's this gonna lead to?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow. His leg continued to rub against Greg's.  
  
"Hmm...I don't know...Why don't you tell me?" he tilted his head slowly to the side, his hand reaching out toward Nick's. He gently grasped it and began to rub it.  
  
Both men seemed a little weirded out now, and within a second or two they had pulled apart. Nick was just about to speak, but Greg quickly got up, shuffling off to the living room. Nick blinked, but he followed.  
  
"Greg! What's the matter?" The younger man was huddled on the couch, his hands covering his face.  
  
His words came out mumbles and hard for Nick to hear.   
  
"Repeat that again?" He slowly walked over to Greg, and as he lowered himself to the other's face, his hands grasped Greg's. He pulled them down slowly. "Without the hands?"  
  
Greg's face was as red as a tomato. He was quite embarrassed. He looked away from Nick, closing his eyes.  
  
"Oh come on, Greg...Look at me? Please?" Nick turned his head to try and catch Greg's gaze, but it wouldn't work. "Greg! Look at me!"  
  
The tone was...rather harsh, but it got Greg's attention. He slowly turned his head, his eyes opened quickly and meeting with Nick's.  
  
"Now," Nick began, "I want to know what's going on in your head. You're not playing with me, are you Greg?"  
  
Greg shook his head quickly. "N-no."  
  
"You're...You really feel like this?"  
  
Greg nodded once more. Nick paused, but he seemed rather happy. "Really?"  
  
"It isn't just flirting," Greg stated softly, looking more seriously into Nick's eyes. He squeezed Nick's hands softly, a small smile on his face.   
  
Leaning in a bit closer, Nick pressed his nose against Greg's. The two of them looked at each other for a couple moments before they finally kissed, their lips touching for the first time.  
  
Nick slowly pulled away, sliding himself onto the couch and next to Greg. Their hands intertwined and Greg crawled into Nick's lap, his lips catching the older man's, and as they kissed, they both felt whole.  
  
~*~************************~*~  
  
Author's Note: Alrighty then....I'm leaving it at that.....It's the perfect end for a story, and unless I wanna take it further (which right now, I really don't), It's going to be just fine with this. Umm...If I get...enough reviews telling me to continue...I might just do so ^_~ 


End file.
